Beacon Villages
Under Cosdon Beacon Dartmoor Devon UK
 Benefice of South Tawton with Belstone Services May 2005
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All People That On Earth Do Dwell |
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St. Andrew's Church, South Tawton
JUNIOR CHURCH 9:30 a.m. Church House, SouthTawton 2 nd and 3 rd Sunday of the month All welcome |
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From the registers - May 2005
'Death is not the extinguishing of the light but putting out the lamp because the dawn has come' Anon. ThanksThanks to everyone who supported the coffee Morning held at the Rectory on April 2 nd . Over £250 was raised for the Junior Church . NB The Junior Church meet on the 2 nd and 3 rd Sunday of every month. Please telephone Michael 849048 for details. |
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Rectory Ramblings May 2005 The death of Pope John Paul the second and the election of his successor which will have taken place by the time of publication has led me to ponder upon the sacrifice of privacy that leaders in many spheres of life make to follow their vocation. Some individuals pursue the celebrity status and then complain bitterly when the media invades their privacy. Others accept positions where they sacrifice a 'normal' life by becoming public figures. To a greater or lesser degree this happens to many people from all walks of life including the clergy. Pope John Paul was greatly loved and respected. There is no doubt that he gave his life in the service of God, giving up so much that we take for granted in becoming a public figure not only when he became Pope but during the rest of his ministry as he accepted positions of increasing authority. I recently sat close to Rowan Williams the Archbishop of Canterbury and felt humbled when I looked upon a man with so much responsibility on his shoulders, under the scrutiny of the world media in all that he says and does. I felt humbled because I only have to face the criticism of the few in whose eyes I can do nothing right and who seem only able to look for things to complain about. Mine is a small weight to bear and worth bearing if after careful thought and prayers one reaches a resolve which one believes to be the correct one to follow, despite not being able to please all of the people all of the time. When we give thanks for such as pope John Paul or Rowan Williams or any public figure who has given up their privacy and the opportunity of a 'normal' life our minds must turn to Jesus who made the ultimate sacrifice for us all. In Philippians chapter two we are told that the incarnation involved the giving up of divine attributes to become fully human, sacrifice enough we might think, but then we see a God in Jesus whose love is so deep for humanity that he sets his face towards Jerusalem and death upon a cross for our sake. The green hills of Galilee must have seemed so inviting, the pleasant life of a teacher/philosopher such a comfortable option, but rather for us Jesus chose to face the cries of derision and the pain of Calvary . It makes me very humble when I only have to face the grumbling of the few or the phone call on my day off (Fridays!). MichaelI do not pray for a lighter load but for a stronger back - Philip Brooks |
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